Division I Champion: Dominican

[CaddoMagnet]

2003 Division I Girls
March 8, 2007
Tad Gormley Stadium
Dominican 3 Mandeville 2


Dominican wins state title - Knocks off Mandeville for school's first soccer championship
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, March 9, 2003
Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer
First time's a charm?

The phrase doesn't begin to describe the way the Dominican girls soccer team clinched its first state championship with a 3-2 victory over Mandeville on Saturday at Tad Gormley Stadium.

Though Mandeville (21-5) played in the title match four of the past five years, Dominican looked like the veterans of the finals, even though it was its first appearance. Not much had to do with beginner's luck or charm. Dominican (28-3) dominated the first half behind two Kendra Merchant goals, and staved off a reinvigorated Skippers squad in the second half.

Merchant, a freshman, scored all three Dominican goals and was named Most Outstanding Player.

"We had some opportunities that we didn't convert," Mandeville coach Wendi Corales said. "But they made the most of their opportunities, and that was the difference in the match."

Mandeville never stopped pressing, narrowing the two-goal margin to one with less than two minutes remaining. Aynsley Zollinger broke up the middle and fired a quick grounder that made the final moments of the match very long for Dominican, according to senior Sarah Brennan.

"It wasn't until after that final two minutes that it was safe," Brennan said. "That two minutes seemed like two hours."

Mandeville's Sarah Wagar closed the Dominican lead to 2-1 when she headed in Melissa Planells' corner kick in the 42nd minute.

"Right before the second half I told my assistant we have to get a third goal," Dominican coach Jim Barrouquere said. "We've played them six times over the past few years and it's always been close."

Though Merchant doesn't remembers her first two goals, she remembers the crucial third score.

"When they scored the first goal in the second half, I was like uh-oh, what's going to happen here," Merchant said. "That's why the third was important."

Jenna Balamane dribbled past a defender saw that Merchant had gotten past her defender as well. She flicked the pass and Merchant nailed her third goal for the 3-1 lead in the 72nd minute.

"I'm still trying to believe we beat Caddo (Dominican's semifinal opponent)," Brennan said. "It's unbelievable. . . . I felt like we should go out and have fun today. If we lose, we still have done better than any other team (from Dominican)."

---

Local soccer teams exceed expectations
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Sunday, March 9, 2003
Author: Tammy Nunez
It occurred to me, suddenly, as I stood shaking on Independence field in Baton Rouge on Feb. 28.

Tired from a drive back from Shreveport, where I had covered the Mandeville girls basketball team's quarterfinal at Southwood High School, there I stood shivering in the bitter cold and misting weather watching the fourth overtime of the Mandeville girls soccer match.

It's no secret that the north shore has a good age-group soccer program and turns out good high school teams. But it was in that moment, before Mandeville beat St. Joseph's Academy in a shoot-out, that it occurred to me that west St. Tammany has had one heck of a soccer year. Out of the four schools on my primary beat, two teams made the state championship match. By out-shooting the Red Stickers, Mandeville joined St. Scholastica to represent our area in the high school soccer championships. SSA defeated Vandebilt Catholic to reach the Division II finals.

What struck me most wasn't just the possibility of having two state championships crowned in St. Tammany. What's seemed more intriguing about this year's soccer is that so many teams broke school records and went far in the playoffs.

Take the Covington boys squad. Here is a team that had never won a playoff match nor an outright district title. The Lions did both this season.

But they took it even further. After being declared a winner in the Division I bi-district (there was a fight that required a ruling on outcome), the Lions beat Baton Rouge in the regional a couple days later. Obviously, no one told this team that Covington is supposed to export football players, not soccer champions, because Covington then defeated Captain Shreve in a match that wasn't close. Captain Shreve hadn't lost a district match. Finally, the Lions succumbed to Jesuit in the semifinals.

Mandeville and St. Paul's also won playoff matches this year, making my job dizzying trying to track six West St. Tammany teams' progress through the Division I and Division II playoffs.

The Fontainebleau girls had a great year even though the playoffs were a bust. The Bulldogs went through 2 ½ years of undefeated district play until losing to Northshore in the final regular season match. Fontainebleau was stopped short by Dominican in the playoffs, but the streak of winning matches is unprecedented at Fontainebleau.

St. Scholastica defied the odds as it overcame the loss of four starters to injury and bulldozed its way into the playoffs with an undefeated record. It wasn't the first time the Doves went undefeated in district (see 2000 and 2001), but it is the first time in school history the Doves played in the state final.

What the Mandeville girls have done is equally impressive, though their ascension to the title match was old hat. The Skippers lost to Mount Carmel in the final last year. Keep in mind Mandeville finished second in district for the second consecutive year (to Fontainebleau).

Though many West Tammany teams knocked each other around in district, when they hit the playoffs, they made a dent. The soccer season ended last night. All I have to say is phew, it's been quite a ride.

---

Runners-up vie for championship
Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA) - Saturday, March 8, 2003
Author: Tammy Nunez Staff writer
Maybe it's a jinx to win the district in Division I.

Last season, Dominican edged Mount Carmel for the Catholic district title, but Mount Carmel won the state championship. The Cubs beat Mandeville, who finished second to Fontainebleau in the north shore district.

Today, two second-place district teams, Mandeville and Dominican, will meet at 4 p.m. in the Division I state championship at Tad Gormley Stadium.

Mandeville finished second in the district to Fontainebleau again. Dominican was runner-up to Mount Carmel in the district.

Whoever wins will bring the school something better than a district title: a first state championship.

Both coaches say they think their success has to do with peaking at the right time.

"In the beginning of the year, we're not working on shooting," Mandeville coach Wendi Corales said. "I'm a defender and I concentrate first on defense.

"Fontainebleau (has) offense and speed, but once you shut that down, they're beatable," Corales said.

Dominican credits focus for its success. "We lost (to Mount Carmel) both times in overtime," Dominican coach Jim Barrouquere said. "I think we've gotten stronger and more focused."

If the coaches are right, today's match should be low-scoring and a battle fought in the middle of the field for ball control.

"Whoever's midfielders can control the game will win," Barrouquere said.

He's got one of the best in the state in center mid Sarah Brennan. She and Melissa Planells, a Mandeville midfielder, are headed to the University of Southern Mississippi on soccer scholarships.

"(Dominican) has a very good possession game, and I think that's one of our strengths," Corales said. "I think it will come down to the midfield."

Dominican has more scoring options than last year. Brennan scored 51 goals last season, but only 28 this year. Barrouquere has other players with 10 or more goals. Skippers strikers Sarah Wagar and Christina Restrepo are about split on goals and have developed rapidly since the playoffs began.



Dominican 3
Mandeville 2
-Dominican becomes the 2003 Louisiana High School Division I Champion

Semifinal Game Results:

Caddo Magnet 0
Dominican 3
-Dominican moves on to play Mandeville

Mandeville 3-Shootout
St. Josephs 1
-Mandeville moves on to play Dominican

Quarterfinal Game Results:

Caddo Magnet 1
St. Amant 0
-Caddo Magnet moves on to play Dominican

St. Josephs 5
Acadiana 2
-St. Josephs moves on to play Mandeville

Mandeville 2
Destrahan 1
-Mandeville moves on to play St. Josephs

Dominican 6
Hahnville 0
-Dominican moves on to play Caddo Magnet

Regional Game Results:

Caddo Magnet 2
Baton Rouge 0
-Caddo Magnet moves on to play St. Amant

Acadiana 3
Ruston 1
-Acadiana moves on to play St. Josephs

Dominican 4
Fontainebleau 1
-Dominican moves on to play Hahnville

Mt. Carmel 1
Mandeville 3
-Mandeville moves on to play Destrahan

St. Josephs 8
Carencro 0
-St. Josephs moves on to play Acadiana

Bonnabel 0
Hahnville 4
Hahnville moves on to play Dominican

Lafayette 0
St. Amant 1
-St. Amant moves on to play Caddo Magnet

Central Lafourche
Destrahan
-Destrahan moves on to play Mandeville

Bi-district Game Results:

Baton Rouge 5
West Monroe 0
-Baton Rouge moves on to play Caddo Magnet.

Ouachita 1
St. Amant 3
-St. Amant moves on to play Lafayette

Dominican 8
Northshore 1
-Dominican moves on to play Fontainebleau

Hahnville 4
Chapelle 0
-Hahnville moves on to play Bonnabel

Andrew Jackson 0
Central Lafourche 3
-Central Lafourche moves on to play Destrahan

Acadiana 2
Captain Shreve 0
-Acadiana moves on to play Ruston

Byrd 1
Carencro 2
-Carencro moves on to play St. Josephs

Grace King 0
Mandeville 9
-Mandeville moves on to play Mt. Carmel

[futbol10]

Anyone have a summary of the Acadiana game, doesn't sound like it went the way most people thought it would?

[guestguest4]

good game played 70% of the time on shreve's end.

[What Game were you at]

You definintely were not at the Acadiana game. Acadiana dominated most of the game. Shreve did attack the goal much better in the 2nd half.

[Finish it]

Nope, he/she was right. At least 70% of the game was played in front of the Capt Shreve goal. AHS just had no finish tonight. Got 1 called back for a questionable offsides, lost 1 goal because the Shreve keeper ran over the AHS player and WAS NOT playing the ball (it had already bounced over her head), Even missed a PK in the box (too high, but it went through the football goal posts, do we get 3 for that?) Capt Shreve's #13 was all over the field, played her heart out and kept them in the game. AHS had to really keep an eye on #22, she has good speed but AHS defense let nothing thru. Shreve had maybe 3 quality shots on goal and the AHS keeper ate them up as usual.

[fan]

Here is the Shreveport Times article about the Byrd/Carencro game. Sounds like the Lady Jackets played their hearts out and have nothing to hang their heads about. Note what the Carencro coach said.
The Carencro High School Lady Bears soccer team escaped Independence Stadium with a thrilling 2-1 victory over the Byrd High School Lady Jackets in the first round of the Division I playoffs on Tuesday.

Junior Erin Hebert received junior Amy Doucet's assist off the corner to drive home the winning goal for the Lady Bears within the final 90 seconds of play.

"First, my hat's off to Byrd," Carencro head coach Christian De Prins said. "I feel they deserved to win as much as we did. In the second half, they outplayed us with their pressure and their passes. But I'm very glad to come away with a victory."

Said Doucet: "This was a good game. I don't think we've ever played this hard before. We played hard and deserved to win. I think we have a good shot next week if we play like we played tonight."

Byrd (10-14) strategically controlled field position throughout the night, pressing the ball on Carencro's end of the field.

"We had opportunities to finish it," Byrd coach Lisa Levermann said. "We should have taken advantage of opportunities when we had the chance. But sometimes, that's how the ball rolls."

Carencro broke the ice with a goal from Doucet. The Lady Jackets came right back with a goal from Kate Querbes to tie the game at 1 heading into the intermission.

After a defensive struggle throughout the second half, Doucet passed to Hebert off the corner for the game winner. Carencro advances to play St. Joseph's Academy of Baton Rouge in the second round.

[Numbers]

opps, wrong key

Here is how each divison one district did in the first round:

District 1, 0-2 (Byrd, Shreve)
District 2, 0-2 (W.Monroe, Ouachita)
District 3, 2-0 (Acadiana, Carencro)
District 4, 2-0 (BRHS, St. Amant)
District 5, 1-1 (Mandeville/w, Northshore/l)
District 6, 2-0 (Hahnville, C.Lafourche)
District 7, 0-2 (Andrew Jackson, Grace King)
District 8, 1-1 (Dominican/w, Chapelle/l)

Seems like what has been said all year is holds true in the first round.

[soccerwatcher]

carencro did not deserve to win that game. the only way they got passed midfield the whole game was by kicking the ball as hard as they could and try to run on to it. this was just a case where the better team plays well and dominates the whole game, but the lesser of the two teams wins at the last minute. and whoever the reporter is that wrote that article is an idiot, byrd scored first.

[Numbers]

But Carencro did win the game, even if it was ugly.

[guestfan]

Carencro did win the game. This was not the first time Byrd outplayed someone but lost the game. I think the future looks bright for Byrd. For the most part 3 freshmen and 6 sophomores start with the first few subs off the bench being freshmen and sophomores. They need to gain more leg strength and improve on finishing and I feel they can advance at least to the 3rd round of the playoffs next year.

[futbol10]

well obviously i wasn't at the game, since i asked how it went, and said that i heard that acadiana should have beaten them worse. all i asked for was a summary of the game, b/c i wasn't able to make it. thanks anyways

[to futbol10]

Here is the article from the Gannett News Service that ran in the Shreveport Times this morning:

SCOTT - The last time the Acadiana Lady Rams (19-9-1) won a playoff game was in 2000, when they defeated the Captain Shreve Lady Gators.

After a two-year winless stretch in the playoffs, the Lady Rams blanked the Lady Gators 2-0 on Tuesday to advance to the Regionals.

"The jinx has been broken," Lady Rams head coach John Richard said. "It's really good that we won this game, because losing the first game we played in the playoffs the last two years was definitely in the back of our heads."

When a team game plans for the Lady Rams, they normally think that they have to stop senior Marliese Latiolais, but on Tuesday the show belonged to freshman Courtney Hofland.

With 31:03 left in the second half and the game scoreless, Hofland got behind Lady Gators goalie Sarah Raborn for an empty net goal. But it didn't count because the Lady Rams were called for offsides.

"I was mad about that call," Hofland said. "I was mad because I didn't think we were offsides, but they called it so we had to move on."

Move on is exactly what Hofland did, because within the next five minutes, Hofland received a pass from Latiolais and kicked the ball off the hands of Raborn to give Acadiana a 1-0 lead.

"I was able to get behind the last player and find an opening," Hofland said. "When I got away from her I was able to get the ball over the goalie's head."

With 19:05 left in the game, Latiolais had a chance to increase the Lady Rams' lead to 2-0 on a penalty kick attempt. The Lady Gators were called for a hand ball inside the box, but Latiolais' shot went over the goal.

"All of her (Latiolais) shots were a little high," Richard said. "But on the PK, I think she was surprised when the goalie started moving from side to side."

But Hofland came to the rescue in the final two minutes as she put the game away with her second goal of the night on a direct kick.

"I was shooting for the back upper 90," Hofland said. "And it's real difficult to do that when the wind is blowing."

But overall, Hofland was excited with her play in her first playoff game.

"It was real exciting to score twice in a playoff game," said Hofland, who has 29 goals on the season. "I'm just glad we didn't lose the first game we played again."

[Dear numbers]

What are you referring to when you say....seems what has been said all year long held true?

[futbol10]

well lafayette goes down tonight 1-0 against St. Amant. Awesome game by both teams. st amant dominated first half, then lafayette stepped it up and dominated second half. goal came off of a pk. wish this game would have been determined by a true hard fought goal, i would have actually liked to have seen the game go into over-time just see both these teams play hard and earn it. both teams played awesome, wish both could have gone on. games like this are the ones where you wish horrible teams werent guaranteed spots in the playoffs, leave more room for teams like these to go on. great season lafayette, good luck next year, looks like you will be just as strong, if not stronger.

[Finish it]

Tough, tough game. The field conditions were the worst I have ever seen in a play-off game. You could see absolutly no grass on about 75% of the field-just solid mud. Acadiana could not use their short game at all and their speed was also cancelled out. The Ruston ladies were much bigger and slower, perfect conditions for them. They played well and were very hard on the ball. #9 is a good player and #14 looked like she had speed, but nobody could get traction. Acadiana got a red card (which, unfortunately we deserved) and had to play short almost the whole second half. Ruston scored first on a perfect upper 90 shot from around the 18. Acadiana came back and scored the equalizer about 3 minutes later. Tied at the half but Acadiana has a lot more depth and was able to keep fresh legs in on the wings and in the middle. This is not the same team that Acadiana beat 8-0 on a dry field earlier this year. They have improved. Ruston should do better next year. The game was not as close as the score indicates, AHS was able to give all 24 players some playing time.
We really hated to see Lafayette High lose, would like to have faced them in the finals. They are our arch-rivals but they are also our friends.

[Well Said]

Good luck my sistas!

[Article]

www.theadvertiser.com/sports/html/37D14B30-4A28-4203-B775-E46219A7AC44.shtml


Nice article in advertiser today, even in a losing effort. Even a picture.....lol

[guestguest4]

final 8 teams include:
3 district winners
4 district runners-up
1 district 3rd place
and 2 districts with multiple teams.

interesting.

[Numbers]

What is true..... that all the teams in Divison 1 that are from district 1 and 2 lost, and now after the second round, only Magnet stands.

[Hey Numbers]

Where are all you statistics regarding who is still in the playoffs?? Give me some numbers...... THREE North Louisiana teams all in the semi-finals of every division!! Good job to all the North Louisiana teams....Magnet....Parkway and Loyola!!